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Windows Live Messenger

Help Prevent Accidental Clicking of Bad Websites; Do Not Hyperlink Addresses

SUMMARY: To prevent accidentally clicking on web addresses when conversing via Windows Live Messenger, keep the software from automatically turning them into hyperlinks.

By default, as you chat with others in Windows Live Messenger, if someone types in a web address to a site they want you to visit, the address appears hyperlinked. This way you can just click the address to open it in your default web browser.

Unfortunately, some unscrupulous individuals may chat with you for awhile, then try to point you to a "cool" website. This "cool" site may actually be a phishing scam, contain spyware or other malware, contain illegal information, may not be safe for work, etc. In this case clicking the hyperlink would be a bad idea. Instead, copying and pasting the hyperlink into a search engine first might give you some idea where you are about to visit. To make copying addresses easier without accidentally clicking hyperlinks, make the following configuration change:

1. From a Windows Live Messenger window, click the "Show Menu" button, selecting "Tools" - "Options" (see the below screenshot).


Accessing Windows Live Messenger options



2. When the "Options" dialog box appears, click "Security" in the left pane.

3. In the right pane, uncheck "Allow links in conversation windows and my contact list".


Preventing links from appearing in Windows Live Messenger conversation windows



4. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

Note that searching for a web address in a search engine is not a fool-proof way to research if a link is safe to visit (you may also want to use the search tools on sites such as McAfee SiteAdvisor), but it may be a start. Also, if you use Firefox you may wish to disable link prefetching before searching for unknown web addresses.



This tip was written for Windows Live Messenger Version 2009 running on a netbook with Windows XP Home. Features, instructions, and screenshots for other versions / operating systems may vary.

Return to the Windows Live Messenger page.

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The MalekTips website was created in 1998 by Andrew Malek of Envision Programming. The page's goal is to freely disperse computer-related tips, hints, and informative articles. Tips are organized to be easy to find, and are presented clearly, in easy-to-understand language. MalekTips also provides information and links to public-domain, open source, freeware, shareware, and commercial software available for download. < more >